Fans mobilize to save Berwyn's car kebab

For such a maligned piece of art, the Spindle -- Berwyn's iconic eight-car sculpture -- sure has made a lot of fast friends.

In the weeks before its destruction, a broad grass-roots effort has included at least three Web sites advocating its survival, two "Save the Spindle" T-shirt campaigns and a state Senate resolution.

One hot July evening, 1,200 bicyclists even pedaled to its side in solidarity.

"To me and a lot of people like me, it's not just a bunch of cars on a stick," said Maggie Ragaisis, 45, co-founder of Friends of the Spindle. "It's like an affection you have for a crazy relative. It might be a little odd, but it's part of our Berwyn culture."

As the artwork's execution date looms -- so a new Walgreens can be built at a Cermak Road shopping center -- its survival faces increasing hurdles. Among them are a rift between the Spindle's creator and the plaza owners and the fact that Walgreens has said it won't contribute to the cost of relocating the sculpture.

Ragaisis, who has also launched the Web site savethespindle.com, remains optimistic.

"If we have to go into major fundraising mode, we will do that," Ragaisis said. But she acknowledged, "It might take a while."

What is certain is that the 50-foot sculpture will be taken down in 60 days, said Michael Flight, president of Concordia Realty, which manages Cermak Plaza, at Harlem Avenue and Cermak Road. It will most likely go into storage until a decision is made about whether to raise it again, he said.

A plan has been developed to refurbish the Spindle -- possibly replacing some of the cars and the steel spike -- and move it 300 feet west in the parking lot.

But whether the sculpture rises again depends largely on the cost of the project and the willingness of Inglewood, Calif., artist Dustin Shuler to let the Spindle's image be used as a marketing tool, Flight said.

If the plaza owner can't publicize the Spindle -- which he said Shuler has been reluctant to allow -- there is little point in spending the money, he said.

"If the artist won't allow us to publicize it, then it doesn't make sense for us to keep it," Flight said.

He cited a CTA campaign that would have advertised taking the "L" to Cicero and a bus to the Spindle. But Shuler declined to let the image be used, Flight said.

"We really want people to see that kind of thing," Flight said. "If they see that and they take the 'L' to the Spindle, hopefully they'll buy a big-screen TV too."

Shuler said he didn't remember the CTA campaign specifically, but acknowledged, "I put the kibosh on most things [Flight] sends me. People want it, and they send these outrageous contracts."

He said he, too, is frustrated, but he has no interest in waving his copyright to commercialize the structure. He was commissioned to create the piece by one of the shopping center's owners, David Bermant, an art collector who died in 2002. "I kind of think it would be better not to have it in the shopping center because they're all business interests now," Shuler said. "I'm not a commercial artist. I'm a fine artist, and this is a piece of fine art."

The other complicating factor in resurrecting the Spindle is price. Flight said one bid has come in for $348,000. Four other companies are preparing bids.

"I don't know what number will be acceptable, but what I know is $350,000 is unacceptable," he said.

The Berwyn Arts Council has begun trying to raise money with a T-shirt sale. Shuler -- who signed off on the shirt that says "Save the Spindle" beside an image of the artwork -- gets $1 for every shirt sold. They cost $20.

About 40 shirts have been sold, said Jon Fey, Berwyn Arts Council chairman. Though it's only a drop in the bucket, he hopes to pool resources with people behind Web sites savethespindle.com, savethespindle.org and saveourspindle.com to raise money.

"I don't know that all of these Internet groups will raise enough money independently. But hopefully reasonable minds will decide it is worth it to spend the sums of money needed to put it back at the plaza," he said. "Walgreens has an opportunity here to be the knight in shining armor that saves the day. We're trying to make some contact with the right individuals."

But Walgreens spokeswoman Carol Hively said the Deerfield-based company has no plans to contribute to resurrecting the Spindle.

"Walgreens is not going to be making a donation," she said. "We've heard mixed opinions about the Spindle, people who see value and people who don't. ... We haven't been specifically compelled or felt the need to make a donation to preserve it."

When erected 18 years ago, the Spindle launched waves of consternation across Berwyn, with many residents claiming that a tower of largely boxy American autos was only an eyesore. In a 1990 non-binding ballot measure, voters overwhelmingly said they did not want it in the suburb.

But with the structure about to be taken away, it has enjoyed remarkable support. Last month, state Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) filed a resolution encouraging the city and Cermak Plaza management company to keep the Spindle in Berwyn. And 1,200 bicyclists, as part of the monthly group ride Critical Mass, rode to Berwyn to express their support. Several riders manufactured mini-versions of the Spindle that they mounted on their helmets.

"Corporate development seems to pave everything over and turn everything to a strip mall," said Steven Lane, a Critical Mass organizer. "Walgreens is a Goliath here against a piece of public art."

Berwyn Mayor Michael O'Connor said he wants the Spindle to continue standing but said there is little government can do to save it.

"It's not public art," he said. "Whether the owners want to save it is the big question."